Clement: Some Rangers players told they're 'not part of project'

You said you can’t hold a gun to the heads of players…

But I just want to say, okay, it's clear for everybody that some players want to go. That some players clearly said, been said to months ago before the pre-season started that they would not be part of the project because of circumstances like wages. We need to lower the amount of wages. It was too expensive last season for the club. So that's also one part of the story. So they know, but they're still here. I cannot do more about that.

If you can’t find a solution do you have to consider you won’t be able to bring players in?

We will see. Everybody's working two weeks really hard to do the right things. I don't have a crystal ball. I wish I had, but I don't.

Do you understand the frustrations of the fans at the moment?

I think these things happened much more than 10, 20 years ago. There's a shift in that all over Europe in that way. I think the first thing that fans don't want is to come in the same situation as 12 years ago. They don't want that. So they need to understand that the club tries to do all the good things. And stay healthy. And get results. So if you have six players, end of contract, and maybe you need to let go somebody else also for free to cut down the wages. It costs time to rebuild that. I know a big part of the fans understand that. Maybe some not. Can be. So we need to focus on showing them that we want to give everything, every day for this club. The players need to show that on the pitch and get results. And there's only one thing important for fans, it's winning games. I know. So we need to focus on showing them that we want to give everything, every day for this club. The players need to show that on the pitch and get results. And there's only one thing important for fans, it's winning games. I know.

How you do feel about the project here?

Yes, because it's a massive job. And I knew it. And it was for me so easy to not do it. But maybe that's my... I don't know if it's a word in English. My masochist side. No, no. I love this club, really. And I only had one time that feeling with the club. And it was in Brugges where I was 16 years because it was my second family. I feel after seven months like really part of this club. I could not leave this project now. That was impossible. Although there were chances for that. No. But I know we need time to build things. And I cannot say how fast things will go. But I can say that everybody is working really hard. And I'm really confident of the future of this club. Because now decisions are made to keep this club healthy, first. Secondly, to think short term, yes, where possible. But thinking also about long term. And this is what this club needed. Do I love to be in a club where my heart is and they can spend cash all over? And I can get experienced players and to have a squad where every position is double or triple? Yeah, of course, I would love that. But I knew before it would not be the case. But I don't run away of it. No, I see it as maybe the biggest challenge there is. And I love a challenge. And I'm very, very confident in the way that everybody is working here together now. And communicating together that we will reach our goals. Will it be the next month or in three months or in six months? That's more difficult to predict. But this club is on the good way and on the healthy way. And this is what this club needed. Because otherwise you go to the problems of the past. And that's not what anybody who loves this club wants.

Do you feel a responsibility to get the club back to where it needs to be?

Yes, for sure. I feel this responsibility. And I like also this responsibility. Because there are so many things that we still can do here. But we need to be inventive to do it with less money than your great opponent in the league. That's the reality. And we know. So if you can reach that, that's much stronger than just having the cash and to do it with the cash.

How difficult is it to strike the balance between long term stability and success here and now?

It's challenging and you need also some luck in times. Because your questions would be totally different today. And the feeling of the fans would be totally different today and the last couple of days. If we would have qualified against Kyiv. That's the reality. That's done. And I'm also…. you don't have guarantees in that. But you all saw the story of that game. And I had to make a decision, for example, with Cerny in which moment of the game to put him. I knew I had 45 minutes. We chose to do it the second half to make the difference. Also because the medical staff said that's also the period and that's normal where the other team gets more tired. And it's less intensive. Pity that it was only five minutes. We played 11 against 11. But those are choices to make now and that's my responsibility to do. And I'm confident and I'm very sure if we would have stayed with 11 we would have qualified. But it's not the case now and we need to look forward now to the St Johnstone game and to qualify in the cup. That's the next goal.

You mentioned Roy Keane earlier. Do you have players in the team now who can take the team by the scruff of the neck and play that kind of role?

We have. But it's for them also more challenging and it's easier when you have all experienced guys around you also that you need to explain less. So it's for them also more challenging. But they embrace the challenge also. We talked about that with them last couple of weeks and they do it. So it's for them also an upgrade in that way. You didn't have to say much to the Ryan Jacks or the Barisic who were here a long time and who knew everything. It's now with young guys with a lot of talent to help them, to guide them, to protect them also. Because if they read everything what's been written about them now, they get killed. And they need to learn these things and they need to help in that way, the experienced guys. That was so interesting about this documentary to look back. At the end, people remember the good things. David Beckham is a huge star in all UK and he deserves also. But that season he was slaughtered by everybody who was British. Everywhere, even his own fans in the beginning and away fans. But that kind of person you need in a building who have the balls to resist it and to keep on going and give the best of themselves and to turn things around. And there's only one truth, to turn things around on the pitch. There you need to do it. So that's what my players need to do.

Will Danilo be involved tomorrow?

Danilo is in the selection for tomorrow, yes. I cannot predict everything before the game. But it's the idea that he has playing minutes tomorrow.